The Dying Days: The Morning After
by Gary Merchant
Summary: Set after The Dying Days novel, and the morning after Bernice's impulsive actions.


THE DYING DAYS - THE MORNING AFTER

The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the bedroom window. A couple lay on the bed, both wrapped in their own thoughts. She gazed up at the ceiling without actually looking at it. "Goddess," she breathed.

He lay next to her, a confused expression on his face. "Well, um…"

She turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"Nothing."

"Ah. Right." She gazed across to the open bedroom door. "Poor Woolsey. He must have got the fright of his life."

"He wasn't the only one."

She blushed, and covered her face in embarrassment. "What was I thinking? This was such a bad idea."

"If I remember correctly," he said, looking across at her, "it was your idea in the first place, Benny."

She cringed. "Don't remind me." She manoeuvred herself off the bed, pulling the sheet with her, in an effort to cover her modesty. "Er… I think we'd better get dressed, don't you?"

"I suppose so." His eyes followed her as she made her way to the bathroom, her clothes in one hand, the sheet gripped with the other. "Wouldn't it be easier for you to get dressed in here?" he asked, in all innocence.

Bernice stared at him. "Doctor, I can't do that!"

"I don't see why," he reasoned. "You were quite happy to do the reverse earlier on."

"Oh, Goddess." She searched for a way out of this predicament. "Look, it's a… it's a girly thing, ok?"

As she made her way to the bathroom, Bernice Summerfield was clear in her own mind that this was the most embarrassing thing she had ever done, or was likely to do.

The Doctor was already dressed by the time Bernice joined him in the living room. A pot of fresh coffee had been brewed, and she took a cup gratefully. He took a seat on the couch, while Bernice tactfully chose an armchair. After last night, she didn't want to be quite so close to him. Not just yet.

The Doctor was the first to break the silence. "You did rather take me by surprise, Benny. Totally unexpected."

"Was it really so bad?" she asked.

"Not 'bad,' exactly," he replied. "I just… don't normally indulge in…"

"I get the picture," she stressed. "Time Lords don't do naughties, right?" She wasn't accusing him. It was just to get things clear in her mind.

The Doctor seemed flushed. "Oh no, we do. Just not very often. With thirteen lives against your one, sex isn't treated with the same importance that humans seem to attach to it."

Bernice sipped her coffee, taking this in. It made a sort of sense. Why should other races treat sex in the same way as the human race? Still, if they did, maybe there wouldn't be so many wars and stuff, as people would be otherwise occupied. The idea made her smile, and she felt able to relax in the Doctor's company again.

She still felt a tiny bit foolish. "Why do I always dive in feet first, without thinking? I ought to stop being so damned impulsive and start acting sensible for a change."

The Doctor grinned at this. "Bernice, it's that impulsiveness that is so you. If you behaved in any other way, then life would be so boring."

She looked at him then, and smiled. "I'd forgotten how perceptive you used to be."

"I'm still the same person," he told her. "Still the same Doctor."

"The difference is that you're just so damned handsome."

He seemed genuinely surprised at this. "Am I? Really?" He got up from the couch and moved to a full-length mirror on the far wall, to examine his face. "Well, I suppose you're right."

"Believe me," Bernice assured him, "you'll leave a trail of broken hearts behind you with that face."

The Doctor turned to her, concerned. "And will yours be one of those broken hearts, Benny?"

She thought it over. "Nah," she assured him. "Last night was a one-off, when I let my curiosity get the better of me. I'll be okay."

He smiled with relief. "Friends?"

She returned the smile. "Friends."

He looked around. "Benny, where did I leave my coat?"

She pointed back toward the bedroom. "In there."

"Ah, right." He headed to the room in question. "I'd feel naked without it."

"Mmm." Bernice watched his retreating form, her eyes sad. "God, what a waste," she sighed.

"And his bum looks pretty good too!"


End file.
